The concept of therapeutic treatment with various devices is well known, and designed to provide static support for a human body and/or specific parts of the human body. Existing therapeutic devices use different physical principals. Some of them include mattresses adapted to provide proper alignment for joints of the spine, firm support devices for the whole back or neck or lower back, devices which use gravity or other forces for stretching, and medical equipment designed for specific positioning, etc. There are also devices having dynamic qualities designed for massage, including devices which have a monotonic rocking motion or vibration, which are designed to induce sleep-like cradles. Air mattresses are also known to support a sleeper thereon.
The present invention is related to devices with dynamic qualities and utilizes cyclic inflation and deflation of an air mattress to produce three dimensional motion to stimulate proprioceptors for inducing deep relaxation and restoring homeostasis, in a manner not previously known in the art.
THEORY
1. Nervous System and Stress
The following discussion is based on the book "Principals of Anatomy and Physiology" by Tortora and Grabowski.
The human being nervous system is structurally divided into two branches: Central nervous system (CNS) and Peripheral nervous system (PNS). CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system is in turn subdivided into Somatic nervous system (SNS) and Autonomic nervous system (ANS).
The SNS consists of sensory neurons that convey information from cutaneous and special sense receptors primarily in the head, body wall, and extremities to the CNS and motor neurons from the CNS that conduct impulses to skeletal muscles only.
The ANS consists of sensory neurons that convey information from receptors primarily in the viscera to the CNS and motor neurons from the CNS that conduct impulses to smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands.
The motor portion of the ANS consists of two branches: Sympathetic nervous system and Parasympathetic nervous system. With few exceptions the viscera receive instructions from both. Usually, these two divisions have opposing actions. Process promoted by sympathetic neurons often involve expenditure of energy while those promoted by parasympathetic neurons restore and conserve body energy.
Homeostasis is a condition in which the body's internal environment remains within certain physiological limits. Homeostatic mechanisms attempt to counteract the everyday stresses of living. A stressor activates sympathetic nervous system responses such as:
The heart rate and the strength of contraction increase to circulate substances in the blood very quickly to the areas where they are needed to combat the stress. PA1 Blood vessels supplying the skin and viscera (except the heart and lungs) constrict, while blood vessels supplying the skeletal muscles and brain dilate. This routes more blood to organs active in the stress responses while decreasing blood supply to organs that do not play an immediate active role. PA1 The spleen contracts and discharges stored blood, which increases the volume of blood in the general circulation. Red blood cell production accelerates, and the ability of blood to clot increases. PA1 The liver transforms large amounts of stored glycogen into glucose and releases it into the bloodstream. The glucose is broken down by cells to provide the energy needed to meet the stressor. This also raises body temperature and causes sweating. PA1 The rate of breathing increases, and the respiratory passageways widen. This enables the body to acquire more oxygen, which is needed in the decomposition reactions of catabolism. It also allows the body to eliminate more carbon dioxide, which is produced during catabolism. PA1 Production of saliva, stomach enzymes, and intestinal enzymes decrease since digestive activity is not essential for counteracting the stress. PA1 Sympathetic impulses to adrenal medulla increase its secretion of epinephrine and norepinephrine. These hormones supplement and prolong many fight-flight responses. At the next stage in the stress response hypothalamic hormones will initiate a long-term reaction. PA1 1) An introduction of a light stretch to the spinal joints to involve stretch reflex and muscle spindles for proprioceptive facilitation of the paravertebral muscles. PA1 2) An introduction of a light monatomic movement to the spinal joints, to bring about an altered state of consciousness. PA1 3) An introduction of a light motions in the direction of flexion and extension of the craniosacral system. PA1 a) stretching the body along its length as well as its width, PA1 b) moving the body up and down, and PA1 c) bending the body upward and downward along its length as well as its width.
All these responses are designed for survival actions. But in modern life in many cases we are not allowed to turn to releasing actions, and thus we cannot disperse energy accumulated in the body by these responses. Day by day we train our sympathetic nervous systems to respond to negative thoughts and emotions. As for parasympathetic ones, they are left for an automatic function, relying on our natural resources.
One of the results of stress in action is higher muscle tone, or the small degree of the muscle contraction present while the muscle is at rest.
2. Proprioceptive Sensations
The following discussion is based on the book "Principals of Anatomy and Physiology", Tortora, Grabowsky.
An awareness of activities of muscles, tendons, and joints and balance or equilibrium is provided by the proprioceptive (proprio=one's own) or kinesthetic (=motion) sense. It informs us of the degree to which muscles are contracted, the amount of tension created in the tendons, the change of position of a joint, and the orientation of the head relative to the ground and in response to the movements. Proprioception enables us to recognize the location and rate of movements of one body part in relation to others. It also allows us to estimate the weight of objects and determine the muscular work necessary to perform a task and to judge the position and movements of our limbs, without using our eyes.
Impulses for conscious proprioception pass along ascending tracts in the spinal cord, to the thalamus and from there to the cerebral cortex. The sensation is perceived in the somatosensory area in the parietal lobe of the cerebral cortex posterior to the central sulcus. At the sme time, proprioceptive impulses also pass to the cerebellum along the sinocerebellar tracts.
Proprioceptors include muscle spindles, tendon organs, and joint kinesthetic receptors. They are located within skeletal muscles, tendons, and joint capsules.
Muscle Spindles
Muscle spindles are specialized groupings of muscle fibers interspersed among regular sketetal muscle fibers and oriented parallel to them. A muscle spindle consists of 3 to 10 specialized muscle fibers called intrafusal muscle fibers that are partially enclosed in a spindle-shaped connective tissue capsule. The central part of an intrafusal fiber does not have the ability to contract, while the ends of this fiber does have the ability to contract through a motor neuron attached to the ends of the intrafusal fiber. The brain can regulate the length of the middle part of the intrafusal fiber by setting a level of sensitivity of the sensory neuron attached to it. This sets the tone of the muscle through the stretch reflex arc.
The stretch reflex results in the contraction of a muscle when it is stretched. Slight stretching of a muscle stimulates receptors in the muscle spindles. In response to the stretch, a muscle spindle produces one or more nerve impulses that propagates along a somatic sensory neuron through the posterior root of the spinal nerve into the spinal cord. The sensory neuron makes an excitatory synapse with a motor neuron in the anterior gray horn. If the excitation is strong enough, an impulse arises in the motor neuron and is conducted along its axon, which projects from the spinal cord into the anterior root. The axon terminals of the motor neuron form neuromuscular junctions with typical skeletal fuscle fibers of the same muscle that contains the activated muscle spindle. Once the nerve impulse reaches the stretched muscle, a muscle action potential is generated, and the muscle contracts. Thus muscle stretch is followed by contraction, which shortens the muscle that had been stretched.
Tendon Organs
Tendon organs (Golgi tendon organs) are proprioceptors found at the junction of a tendon with a muscle. They help protect tendons and their associated muscles from damage due to excessive tension. They also function as contraction receptors; that is, they monitor the force of contraction of each muscle. Each tendon organ consists of a thin capsule of connective tissue that encloses a few collagen fibers. Penetrating the capsule are one or more sensory (afferent) fibers whose dendrites entwine among and around the collagen fibers. When an increase in tension is applied to a tendon, the tendon organ is stimulated (depolarized to threshold). Nerve impulses are generated and these propagate into the spinal cord along a sensory neuron. Within the spinal cord, the sensory neuron synapses with an inhibitory association neuron, which then synapses with and inhibits (hyperpolarizes) a motor neuron that innervates the muscle associated with the tendon organ. Thus, as tension on the tendon organ increases, the frequency of inhibitory impulses increases, and the inhibition of the motor neurons to the muscle developing excess tension causes relaxation of the muscle.
Joint Kinesthetic Receptors
There are several types of joint kinesthetic receptors within and around the articular capsules of synovial joints. Encapsulated receptors are present in the capsules of joints and respond to pressure. Small lamellated corpuscles in the connective tissue outside articular capsules are receptors that respond to acceleration and deceleration of joint movement. Articular ligaments contain receptors similar to tendon organs that adjust reflex inhibition of the adjacent muscles when excessive strain is placed on the joint.
3. Proprioceptive Facilitation
Proprioceptive facilitation is a therapeutic technique designed to diminish muscle tone in relaxed muscles. This technique uses an isometric muscle contraction or contraction of a muscle when the muscle does not or cannot shorten. As a result of application of this technique the muscles become longer in its relation state, thus range of joint movements will be increased and a person will feel relaxed.
The same effect may be reached by systematically positioning the body into specific poses, which puts particular muscles in a light stretch. In this case, a stretch reflex will cause the muscles to contract, but the pose will not allow their movement. An isometric contraction will take place and after the pose is abandoned a new muscle length will be present for some time. Applied systematically a permanent result can be reached. An example of this technique is Yoga.
4. Craniosacral System and Autonomic Nervous System
The following discussion is based on the book "Craniosacral Therapy", Upledger & Vredevoogd.
The brain and spinal cord are nourished by cerebrospinal fluid. It provides an optimal chemical environment for accurate neuronal signaling. It is also a medium for exchange of nutrients and waste products between the blood and nervous tissue. Cerebrospinal fluid is produced by choroid plexuses within the Ventricular system of the brain.
The craniosacral system has the following anatomical parts: the meningeal membranes, the osseous structures to which the meningeal structures attach, the other non-osseous connective tissue structures which are intimately related to meningeal membranes, the cerebrospinal fluid, all structures related to production, resorption and containment of the cerebrospinal fluid.
The craniosacral system is intimately related to, influences, and is influenced by: the nervous system, the musculoskeletal system, the vascular system, the lymphatic system, and endocrine system, and the respiratory system.
The craniosacral system has a rhythmic activity with a normal rate between 6 and 12 cycles per minute. Under reasonably normal circumstances this rhythmic activity appears at the sacrum as a gentle rocking motion which correlates to a broadening and narrowing of the transverse dimension of the head. As the head widens, the sacral apex moves in an anterior direction. This phase of motion is referred to as FLEXION of the craniosacral system. The counterpart of flexion is EXTENSION. During the extension phase, the head narrows in its transverse dimension. The sacral base moves anteriorly while the sacral apex moves posteriorly.
During the flexion phase the whole body externally rotates and broadens, and during extension it internally rotates and narrows slightly.
In a case of a restriction (an impairment to normal physiological motion within the body) craniosacral therapy uses direct and indirect approaches. In direct techniques a therapist gently assists the restricted structure to pass through the resistance barrier. In indirect techniques the therapist follows the restricted structure to its limit in the direction opposite to the resistance barrier. When the structure attempts to return from its extreme position, the therapist becomes immovable.
A beneficial effect of craniosacral therapy is the restoration of flexibility of the autonomic nervous system. Because the autonomic nervous system plays a large role in the homeostatic activity of the body, when autonomic flexibility is restored many homeostatic mechanisms are made more effective.
5. Light Stimuli and Parasympathetic Responses
When a person's mind concentrates on a light monatomic stimulus it has a tendency to go to an altered state of consciousness (hypnosis, meditation, relaxation, touch). In that case fanction of the parasympathetic nervous system prevails over the sympathetic nervous system.
The same effect can be reached if the mind tries to concentrate on sensing very slow passive joint movements and/or very light stretch introduced to the spinal joints.
6. Induction of Parasympathetic Responses
As follows from the previous discussion an induction of parasympathetic responses, such as deep relaxation, and restoration of homeostasis in a human being's body, may be reached by the following stimulation: